


Tripping Toward the Light

by astrologicallyDubious (ruination_fangs), light_rises, MadMegatax, telluricThanatologist, Threeley



Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-30
Updated: 2014-11-30
Packaged: 2018-02-26 18:40:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2662343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ruination_fangs/pseuds/astrologicallyDubious, https://archiveofourown.org/users/light_rises/pseuds/light_rises, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadMegatax/pseuds/MadMegatax, https://archiveofourown.org/users/telluricThanatologist/pseuds/telluricThanatologist, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Threeley/pseuds/Threeley
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A fanadventure ft. dead people. (And the people who see them. You might catch a few of those, too.)</p><p>Updates Tuesdays and Saturdays on <a href="http://placebound.tumblr.com">Placebound</a>!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Act 1.1

A second-generation medium stands in the foyer of an old Louisiana home. It just so happens that on the 4th of December, 2012, she and her brother will celebrate their seventeenth birthdays. Though it has been years since they became aware of their mediumship, it is only ten days from now that they will realize their full abilities!

What will the name of this mysterious lass be?

> Flighty Broad

Excuse you, this is no time for sass. There’s a city to explore, ghosts to bust, butts to touch. Please try again.

> Rose Lalonde

Your name is ROSE LALONDE. As previously mentioned, you are a medium, and rather EXPERIENCED at that, if only because ghosts are everywhere, and you are more than happy to help them CROSS OVER. Your brother, DAVE STRIDER, is much less enthusiastic about your shared gifts (considering wherever he goes, that ridiculous “NO GHOSTS ALLOWED” sign follows).

TG: anyone know who jane and jake are and why theyre writing us letters

Speak of the devil.

TG: man i knew this place couldnt actually be legit i mean mom and jade are setting up shop in the freaking basement  
TG: dont tell me we actually bought this off the black market  
TT: Damn, you’ve caught on. The rest of us had attempted to keep it a secret from you because we expected you to react this way.  
TT: Now Mother and Jade will have to hold you in their laboratory forever.  
TT: The tiny taxidermied bodies of their frogs will serve as your prison guards.  
TT: You will be released when you finally conquer your inexplicable fear of ghost amphibians.  
TG: you think youre real funny dontcha  
TT: :)  
TG: i can smile too see  
TG: :)

==>

You smile at each other for twenty-four seconds before Dave breaks.

TT: Honestly, Dave, that letter is probably just some error on the post office’s part. I don’t know why you felt the need to jump to the most dramatic conclusion.  
TG: i dunno something about this place is making me antsy  
TT: Antsy.  
TG: yeah come on youre the one whos actually into this creepy junk you cant tell me you havent noticed like  
TG: ok i havent actually seen anything but i keep hearing footsteps or something and i dont know if its any of you or something else  
TT: I suppose I’ve been too busy getting things set up to notice any peculiarities. Though it’s not exactly surprising. Are you sure it wasn’t the frogs?  
TG: i dont wanna talk about those things  
TG: besides frogs dont make that kinda noise  
TT: If there are other occupants, they should reveal themselves soon enough. Tell me when they take a shine to you.

Dave begins to rail on about the afterlife’s creepy obsession with him, and perhaps you would have given him the attention he so desperately needed if you hadn’t heard water running upstairs.

TT: Hold on. Do you hear that?  
TG:   
TG: ok you can check that out yourself i think i hear something that gets me out of this  
TT: Of course you do.

Dave makes a noble attempt to abscond into the library, but a bucket of water propped over the doorway catches him (well, honestly, both of you) unawares. He stops in place.

TG: gdi  
TT: You’re right, the danger is definitely on the second floor. I’ll be off to check on that.

> Go to second floor bathroom.

You hear the distinct sound of water overflowing and fear the worst. Sure enough, both of the sink’s faucets have been turned on full force, creating a small flood within a two-foot radius. A large part of you doubts your mother simply neglected to turn them off. Perhaps YOU SHOULD?

> Turn off faucets.

Great job. That’s just some top notch faucet-turning right there. Now you’re left with a flooded bathroom.

You… don’t think a mop is going to help you here. Maybe you can ask your mother if she has any gadgetry that would assist you in your custodial endeavors. Alternatively, you could attempt to coerce Dave into doing it.

==>

????: heheheh.

> ??????(??)? ??

What was-

TT: Hello?

…hmm. You wait, but other than the commotion from downstairs, there’s only silence. Either your mind is playing tricks on you, which you doubt, or someone likes playing games

That’s OK. You like playing games, too.

TG: noooo NO NO NO

What could have possibly happened within the last five minutes that would make him react so loudly? Maybe you should go see what’s going on.


	2. Act 1.2

> Go down to the family room.

It looks as though someone has been doing some decorating while you were braving the flood in the bathroom. A photograph hangs above the fireplace: a man you and Dave learned to only call Dirk, your mother armed with a cat-ear headband, you and Dave wearing tiny ridiculous horse shirts.

In another world, you think maybe you would have ended up being the ghost horse whisperer. You would train your ghost horse to carry you over hill and dale.

> You would be.

The Ghost Rider.

DAVE: oh come the fuck on

Ah, right. Duty calls.

> Get to the kitchen posthaste!

You walk into the kitchen to find Dave riding the waves of another localized flood, map in hand. Wow. It's like there's some otherworldly force attempting to... rather ineffectively drive you out? All right, so the sinks are overflowing. Ooooo. The very pinnacle of terror.

ROSE: I see someone’s been up to some hi-jinks in here as well.   
DAVE: figure that out all by yourself someone get this girl a gold star sticker  
ROSE: I noticed you at least had time to do some decorating in the living room before this latest incident.  
DAVE: right ive had hells of time to do that in between surfin usa

Hmm. You’re fairly certain you would have heard something if your mother or Jade came upstairs. They have a way of, ah, entering a room. So if they had nothing to do with it, and Dave was preoccupied...

DAVE: seriously what are you talking about  
ROSE: Oh, you’ll find out.  
DAVE: alright whatever  
DAVE: i think this mop may be pretty much out of commission seriously im just spreading water at this point  
DAVE: rip mop you were the best friend a kid could ask for  
DAVE: if that kid was really into cleaning up noncarpeted areas  
DAVE: dont worry kid therell be other mops  
DAVE: maybe even brooms yknow brooms are pretty cool too  
ROSE: Just for the record, when you talk about “mops” and “brooms” -  
DAVE: i mean things you use to clean your disgusting kitchens and bathrooms  
DAVE: dont pull that freudian shit on me  
ROSE: You can hardly blame me. After all, just thinking about the general shapes of the objects...  
DAVE: would you shut up and  
DAVE: crazy thought here buckle up for this one  
DAVE: maybe go ask mom if she has anything that could help  
ROSE: Certainly.  
ROSE: MOM!  
DAVE: …  
DAVE: you know i coulda-  
ROXY: WAAAAT  
DAVE: oh my god  
ROSE: YOU WOULDN’T HAPPEN TO HAVE ANYTHING THAT COULD SUBSTITUTE A MOP, WOULD YOU?  
ROXY: WHYYY WE HAVE A MOP  
ROSE: WE NEED SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE DURABLE THAT CAN HANDLE A LARGE POOL OF WATER!  
DAVE: im going to laugh when you blow out your vocal chords  
ROXY: OKAY  
ROXY: WE’RE STILL RIGGING THE GHOST MEASUREY STUFF TO THE COMPUTERS  
ROXY: PLZ HOLD

You suppose if your mom held any other profession, that sentence would be cause for alarm. Granted, she generally works in the paranormal realm, but due to a sad lack of funding, she and her partner have been left to fend for themselves.

This is also why their lab is in the basement, and (when they’re not using you and Dave) why they employ less-than-legal methods to obtain frogs for their experiments.

God you hate frog raids.

==>

Your mom and her partner, JADE HARLEY, appear at the top of the stairs with an unwieldy contraption a minute or so later. Dear God, this thing could probably drain an entire river. (Knowing them, they probably designed it to do just that.)

JADE: okay bratpack if you could step aside please!  
JADE: this is some heavy machinery and we dont want you getting hurt  
DAVE: its a vacuum  
DAVE: its fucking giant but still its a vacuum  
ROSE: Dave, I think we can take Jade at her word on this. Come on, we’ll find something else to do.  
ROXY: yeah u kno i thought i heard something downstairs  
ROXY: u could go down there and see if its somethin else to fix or  
ROXY: someone else to fix ;)  
JADE: er roxy... :/  
ROXY: what theyll be fine they got this theyre practically pros  
ROSE: I think “practically” is the operative word there.  
JADE: well obviously rose is very talented  
DAVE: thanks jade love you too  
JADE: but who says we need to rush anyone into the basement at all or...  
JADE: youre not even listening are you :|  
ROSE: Dave and I would be happy to do that.  
ROSE: Wouldn’t we?  
DAVE: uh yeah you can do that im ollying the hell outta this one  
DAVE: youve got mental vivisecting in your eyes  
DAVE: like the minute were down there youre going to strap one of those helmet things on me  
ROSE: You’re being ridiculous.  
DAVE: okay so maybe i just dont feel like potentially dealing with a ghost  
DAVE: i mean jesus how many times am i gonna have to change socks today  
ROXY: will u just stop ur yammering and get a move on  
ROXY: jfc these kids

OK, fair enough. You know when to take a hint.


	3. Act 1.3

> Descend.

As you walk down the stairs, you think you hear some faint “hehe” very similar to the voice you heard before.

ROSE: ...Hello?

But everything is still as you enter the laboratory. Whatever noise might have been present before has disappeared now. Just the hums and beeps of their computer and various other parapsychological gadgets and apparatuses. Nothing extra-worldly to speak of.

...You wonder, though, who thought it would be funny to wrap up the USB drives in aluminum foil.

Except for that, nothing is really out of place that you can tell. The usual layer of dust that coats most basements. Scraps left behind by those here before you. Heh, there's even a picture stuck under the bottom stair...

> Investigate picture.

Well. That's... hm. That's surprising. It's a faded, water-damaged picture of much younger Jade (twelve? thirteen?) and who you can only guess are her brothers. The older one is wearing a pair of aviators. Wow, really looking slick there. The other you think is Jade's twin because they seem the same age. Plus if the glare from the glasses doesn't scream "siblings", you don't know what does. (Even if Jade has never been particularly vocal about it herself. Indeed, she's been completely silent.)

You pocket it, and figure you’ll ask her about it later when she isn’t so busy.

> Start sleuthing.

You’ll do that when you have the time. Moving into a new house, particularly one like this, is not light work.

Besides, you can hardly solve a mystery if you have no suspects who are willing to talk to you. (Yet, at least.) All this Ghosty Trickster (as you’re calling the apparition) apparently wants to do is make small, annoying messes and also decorate a little.

Ghosts. You swear.

By the time night rolls around and Jade returns home, the shenanigans slow to a stop. (You shake off the feeling that your Ghosty Trickster could be planning something bigger. Seriously, what kind of malevolence is someone who wraps things in tinfoil actually capable of?)

> Something bigger: Happen

Sleep has never come or stayed as easily for you as it has your brother. You could probably hit Dave with a ball of yarn and it would knock him out. Most nights, however, insomnia catches you bleary-eyed and restless. This is particularly true tonight. Who ever has an easy time adjusting to a new room?

Hums of crickets and wind filter through your window and fill your room. You thought the fresh air would help you fall asleep (ha. haha). Your blankets are too thick, but your room is too cold to get rid of them. If you close the window, the room will be too silent. You have made your bed; now you literally have to lie in it.

[[S] ==>](http://tindeck.com/listen/lcag)

????: if i had words… to make a day for you…

When you first hear it, you think maybe it’s someone passing by on the street. Except whoever it is sounds strangely close by.

????: i’d sing you a morning, golden and new… i would make this day last for all time…  
????: and give you a night… deep in moonshine…

If you didn’t know any better, you would think that voice was coming from right outside your window. Naturally, you decide to investigate the porch instead. Your room is right by the stairs, so you have no trouble slipping to the lower level.

????: if i had wooords to make a daaay for yooou!  
????: i’d sing you a morning, golden and neeew!

Whoever it is, they’re getting louder. Their voice drowns out the rest of the world, or maybe you’re not focusing on the backdrop as much now. They sound young, around your age. Perhaps younger.

????: i would make this day last for alllll tiiiime!

The floorboards don’t so much “creak” as they do “shout” when you try to sneak out to the porch. You cringe, freezing on the doorstep, and take a moment to look around. If anyone was here, they’re gone now. You really need sleep.

????: and fill the night deep in moonshine…

A bullfrog croaks somewhere in the dark. It sounds like it’s right on top of you, but you don’t see it.

????: heheheheh!

You rub your eyes. You’ll figure this out tomorrow.


	4. Act 1.4

> Figure it out today.

The next morning, you discover that while you were asleep, your mother snuck into your room and set up your old keyboard.

ROSE: Mother.

She hasn’t gone as far as setting up your sheet music, which you appreciate. Should you play? It’s been a while since you’ve even considered it. You think everyone who could hear you is downstairs. If you keep it soft, no one would suspect you were attempting to keyboard.

You select a warm-up piece, [something old that you know well](http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Ftindeck.com%2Flisten%2Fwiju&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNGgCaTJsB2AmDIdOwQ92pAo33NqiA), even after years of not playing. After running through the same refrain a dozen or so times (it’s a highly loopable tune), you feel like you need a change. Something slower, something you’re not as familiar with.

> Play a haunting keyboard refrain.

Yeah, um... perhaps the words “haunting” or “refrain” aren’t the most apt for the sound emitting from the speakers. Honestly, you’re much better at the violin.

You don't know why you keep trying to master this thing. You're certain your mother bought it as some attempt to buy off your affections, for any assortment of reasons. Still, it can't hurt to try again.

You feel a breeze against your back as you rest your fingers above middle C. You tentatively hold down the major chord, just to feel out the sound. Your hands seem to act on their own accord from there.

You’re not even really thinking about what you’re doing, but this sounds... actually like music. Oddly enough.

[[S] ==>](http://homestuck.bandcamp.com/track/sarabande)

Well that was...

Unusual.

You stand up and eye the keyboard for a long moment, wondering if something had been done to it in the interim. When it doesn’t start playing on its own, you turn around. Your room is still, other than your curtains swaying in the wind...

Even though the window is closed.

ROSE: I know you’re there.

A ghost materializes in front of you. You swear you almost know him, but how would you? He seems surprised that you’re able to communicate with him, which you’re used to. If he feels guilty about being caught, he doesn’t show it.

ROSE: Was that you just now?   
????: you can see me?   
ROSE: Yes. As it happens, I'm a medium. Now answer my question. Did you, just now, possess me so that you could play piano?   
????: well, i saw you playing and to be honest, you weren't very good! and i thought that i could play for you, and maybe it would help you learn or something?   
ROSE: What on earth could possibly make you think that possession would ever be permissible? I don't even know you.   
????: ...i'm sorry. i thought...

==>

Whatever he thought, he keeps to himself. He takes a keen interest in the carpeting, avoiding your gaze, and shuffles his feet. He certainly doesn’t strike you as the sinister type, though Ghostbuster pajamas would certainly make anyone less of a threat. He looks to be somewhere around your age - or would be, if circumstances were different.

ROSE: And even if I did...   
ROSE: That doesn't just cross a line; that flies past it with two middle fingers held high.   
????: does that mean you don’t want to talk to me at all? :(   
ROSE: ...No. No, quite on the contrary.   
ROSE: I imagine talking to you will be necessary if you are to ever cross over.   
ROSE: That's what you want, isn't it?   
????: wh… huh?   
????: what are you talking about?   
ROSE: You know you can't stay here forever.   
????: why not? it's worked out so far.   
ROSE: Yes, and "working so far" definitely means "will work forever into eternity".   
ROSE: Do you honestly expect it to keep working for you?   
????: well... i'm kind of a ghost.   
????: what could actually happen to me?   
ROSE: *Sigh* Okay.

==>

ROSE: You are dead.   
ROSE: Your time on earth, living and breathing and being, has long ended. You died young, and you're never going to get older. You'll never have the life you thought you would have.   
ROSE: Part of you knows that. That part of you wants to break free from all the things that remind you of everything you lost and continue to lose. Your family, friends, home, possessions, the world you knew.   
ROSE: And part of you wants to hold on. You are so attached to something that happened in your life that you can't simply let go. Whatever happened has anchored you here until you can find peace.   
????: ...   
????: yeah well   
????: i can't think of any anchors! oh except hmmm y’know, i am sixteen years old and dead.   
????: but that couldn't be the reason i'm a ghost, nope.

Don’t scream. You are a professional. He is a Ghostbusters-pajamas-wearing-ghost-child.

????: well anyway, can’t imagine you can do much without knowing my name.   
????: which is john. john egbert.   
JOHN: well i mean i guess it’s harley-egbert.   
JOHN: but... yeah just call me john egbert.   
JOHN: actually that’s weird, just call me john.

He holds out his hand and grins. He seems to remember that he is noncorporeal and sheepishly pulls back.

ROSE: ...My name is Rose.   
JOHN: oh, uh, i know, i heard!   
ROSE: Right, of course.   
JOHN: …   
ROSE: …

==>

JOHN: …:I

==>

ROSE: :T

==>

JOHN: :/

==>

ROSE: T:

The door flies open, and Dave stomps into your bedroom. Even if it’s random, the afterlife’s hold on Dave always comes through in the end.

DAVE: wake up breakfast is gonna be ready in…

He looks at you. He looks at John.

DAVE: later

The door catches the wind of his departure. You smile.

JOHN: what’s his damage?   
ROSE: Oh. You know. Everything.   
JOHN: haha what?   
ROSE: He’s a medium, but he’s afraid of ghosts.   
ROSE: He’s also been told he’s cool.   
JOHN: psssssht.   
JOHN: is that true? he can see me, too?   
ROSE: Yes. We’re twins.   
JOHN: holy shit really? i’m a twin too!

The thought _You_ were _a twin_ flashes through your head, but you keep it there away from John. No point in upsetting him anymore, is there?

ROSE: Wow! That’s a first.   
JOHN: huh, no kidding?   
ROSE: Yes. Lots of kidding.   
JOHN: >:P

==>

JOHN: so where do we start with the whole… taking care of things and stuff?   
ROSE: Well, in order to cross over, you must finish whatever unfinished business you may have, and also recall the circumstances of your death.   
JOHN: ...oh.   
ROSE: I’m guessing you haven’t accomplished either of these things.   
JOHN: well i mean, come on! i’m sixteen and... i don’t remember being sick? but then i’ve forgotten things before...   
JOHN: not a lot, though. at least i think.   
JOHN: anyways, yeah, i don’t really know how i died - oh!   
ROSE: Yes?   
JOHN: i saw my twin sister here the other day and... well, she would know!   
JOHN: do you know if she’s coming back?   
ROSE: Yes, but I’ll confess that I’m a little apprehensive about querying her on such a topic, since it is rather personal and one can hardly walk up to a person and ask, “Excuse me, could you tell me exactly how your brother died?”   
ROSE: Up until yesterday, I wasn’t even aware she had a twin brother.   
JOHN: ...oh.   
JOHN: well, i guess... i don’t really blame her for not wanting to tell everybody about it, ha...   
JOHN: what about jude, have you seen him at all?   
ROSE: He’s your older brother, I assume?   
JOHN: yeah!   
ROSE: No, I haven’t.   
JOHN: oh.   
JOHN: well... that’s everybody, so...   
ROSE: Perhaps at a later time, we can try to trigger the memory by discussing events in your life that led up to it.   
JOHN: sure, okay! i could like, show you around town, too.   
JOHN: if you want. :)   
ROSE: Maybe. However,   
ROSE: If you will excuse me. You are still something of an unwelcome presence in my room.   
JOHN: ...right.   
JOHN: sorry.   
JOHN: thanks for helping me.

With that, he disappears.


End file.
